Raiganj: Raiganj Municipality has resumed potable water supply, bringing relief to thousands of residents. The domestic water supply project, which was initially launched about two months ago, had first covered 2,142 households. However, the service was temporarily halted due to leaks detected in the pipeline network. After necessary repairs, the supply resumed on March 15 and has now been expanded significantly, reaching more than 20,000 households across all 27 wards of the municipality.
According to municipal sources, the project has a long history. Construction began nearly 15 years ago with an allocation of around Rs 60 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Over time, an additional Rs 100 crore was jointly provided by the central and state governments to complete the project, taking the total investment to approximately Rs 160 crore. Residents are currently receiving water twice daily—between 8 am and 9 am, and again from 4 pm to 5 pm. Residents have welcomed the initiative. Sabitri Das, a housewife from Ward No. 6, said that the free water supply has brought much-needed relief. “We are happy to receive fresh drinking water regularly. During April and May, we usually face severe water scarcity due to falling groundwater levels. This supply will help us a lot,” she said.
Sandip Biswas, administrator of Raiganj Municipality, said: “The infrastructure is capable of serving up to 34,860 households. We have already started supplying water to over 20,000 households. Residents can get connections as needed. We also plan to lay an additional 40 km of pipeline to further expand the network”.